Fallen Crown
by LovelyDemon
Summary: The story about a prince who got wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, having lost everything, he gets help from a complete stranger. GilxOz. AU. Birthday Fic for Ozbert Fangirl.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgive me for being four days too late! But hey, Happy Birthday CrazlyLady! Or like all the other people on Fanfiction know her, Ozbert Fangirl! And surpriseeeee... I told you I would write another story for you then this... Haha! (I totally suck at surprises. This is super lame.) Hopefully you like this! It has everything you love! Straight people, no happy endings, everyone dies, lame jokes that not even third grades would not laugh at... (This is a joke) **

**I do not own Pandora Hearts. **

**This was beta-read by the amazing: ****Luscina's Lullaby**

* * *

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

The boy finally stopped running, he almost fell against the cold damp wall, gasping for air like a fish on land. He felt exhausted after having ran for more than an hour, this wasn't good. His body had already been weakened as he had been sick for more than two weeks now; it was only thanks to his chain that he could still manage to stand. The prince could not hear the Baskervilles behind him anymore, so he allowed himself the short break. His vision had become blurry and the world started spinning right in front of his eyes. This really wasn't good…

A sharp pain pierced through his chest, he would have fallen if not for a large shadow behind him reaching its hand out to the Vesalius, stopping him from falling. It was gone as soon as it had appeared,

_Hah… hah_… how long before he'd collapse? The boy wondered while coughing, looking around the dark tunnel he had escaped through. He wondered how much longer he would have to run before finally seeing the daylight again. How long had he been running anyway? Longer than just a few hours, Oz knew that much.

"I should…" he mumbled softly to himself, the teen pushed himself off the wall and tried to start walking again, his legs could no longer carry him and he finally collapsed onto his knees when the shadow was too slow to catch its contractor. "-_Hah,_ sorry… B-rabbit," the boy chuckled tiredly, "Guess I'm not worthy of being your contractor, after all."

The chain kept its mouth shut, instead looked around the dim tunnel with its crimson red eyes, it could not pick up any sound so allowed its contractor to rest a bit longer while he kept an eye out. All he was now was a dark shadow, a mysterious mist surrounding the small boy with two large red threatening eyes. B-rabbit's contractor smelled of blood, sweat and fire. How much longer before his weak human body would lose the fight of staying awake?

Oz needed to keep moving, otherwise he'd lose consciousness for sure and then they'd both be screwed.

"I know," the prince commented, having sensed his chain's worries. "How's Alice?" the blond boy slowly got up, he was panting and every step felt like it would be the last before he'd collapse again.

There was no response, only the pain in his chest. "She's in pain…" Oz coughed again, furrowing his brows when tasting blood on his tongue, "What's happening… to me?" he muttered softly while he kept walking, using the wall to lean on. His chain had disappeared again, but he could still feel its presence. Meaning he was nearby. Oz wasn't the type to talk much to himself, and B-rabbit had made it clear it was not a good listener, yet it kept silent whenever its contractor spoke… knowing that the only reason the Vesalius was so talkative even though he was exhausted, was to stay awake.

The boy's clothes were burned, ripped, covered in blood and dirt… you would never guess that this boy, covered in burn wounds and bruises, was the crown prince of the Vesalius Kingdom; Engaged to princess Alice Baskerville of the Baskerville Kingdom. She was the youngest princess, yet it had been her that was chosen to be the next queen alongside the future king. That night, there had been a ball to officially announce their engagement.

But things hadn't gone as planned… the large mansion that the current king, Glen Baskerville, had chosen just for this occasion, the mansion that had taken months of hard work to be prepared for this special evening, had burned down to ashes. Many people were burned alive. It was a miracle Oz had gotten out of it, if only because Alice had reacted quickly and pulled them out of a nearby window when the roof collapsed in front of them. Oz had pulled her close during their fall, so that he would hit the ground first; Alice hadn't gotten hurt, yet why did Oz's chest so much? Right where the seal was… the seal that connected his chain, B-rabbit, to hers, The White Rabbit.

The Baskervilles had pointed their accusing fingers towards the Vesalius', it was their fault. They had set the house on fire. They had never wanted this engagement to happen, all they had needed was an excuse to get all the Baskervilles together so that they could strike!

"Not that it makes much sense," Oz pondered aloud, the images of what had happened hours ago flashing in front of his eyes, making him even more dizzy. This wasn't good at all. "There are holes in the plan, large enough to fit an elephant in it." The poor boy coughed again,

.

Alice had tried to defend him, "_Even if that's true, Oz knows nothing of this_!" she had shouted, standing between him and her uncle, Glen was nowhere to be seen, and everyone knew the worst had happened. Levi Baskerville had not survived the fire. Alice had always trusted her uncle; she had favoured him above her own father, and this was the first time she had not listened to him. It was the first time, Oswald's anger was directed towards her, and as much as the girl tried to hide it behind her arrogance, bravery and pride… Oz saw her shivering in fear and the tears in her eyes, ready to spill over her dirtied cheeks. Her hair was a mess, and the beautiful dress that lady Sharon had helped her choose was now only a shadow of what it once was….

"_All the Vesalius' have just proven to us tonight that they are good liars, what makes you so sure that this thing-_" what happened to Oz's father? "-_Is telling the truth?_"

"_Because I know my fiancé_!" Alice screamed, "_I would only bring dishonour to my household if I could not, as his future wife, know that my soon to be husband was a liar_!" It was the first time she had even talked like that, Alice had hated the marriage. For a long time, she had hated Oz as well because of this, until she had gotten to know him. 'If it's you… then I don't mind getting married.' She had then admitted.

"_You've already brought dishonour on the Baskerville household, foolish girl_!" a Baskerville had then shouted, "_For standing between Glen and a traitor_."

"_Glen_?" the girl had laughed arrogantly, "_My father still hasn't shown up yet! As long as we do not know for sure that my father is dead I refuse to listen to you!_"

"_Alice, don't try lying to yourself_-" her twin sister had said softly,

"_Our father is okay! He will show up any moment now and I will see with my own eyes that he is okay_!"

"_Alice…_" he was only causing her trouble, surely they could talk this out?

"_Silence, you disgusting Vesalius_!" another Baskerville shouted at him,

"_Who do you think you are_?!" Alice had pointed an accusing finger at that person, "_Listen up! I will kill anyone who dares come close to Oz_!" and to prove her words, she had summoned her chain, just like B-rabbit it could change into a huge intimidatingly sinister shadow, yet when it showed it's true appearance, it was a chain as big as a house, as white as snow and so clear that you could see right through it. The chain seemed to always be covered in blood, and wore an identical outfit to the B-rabbit. It held up its scythe, ready to attack.

But Alice did not have to protect Oz for long, "_Young master_!" Miss Kate came running out of the small crowd of survivors; Alice was too focused on the Baskervilles to notice, as was her chain. Miss Kate didn't come across as anything particularly special, so it paid no attention to the middle-aged woman at all. The brunette grabbed her master by his wrist and dragged him away from the girl, of course Oz protested, he could never leave Alice like that! "_Would you rather have me explaining to the princess that her brother died because he wanted to stubbornly prove his innocence_?"

"_Aida is alright?_"

"_Lady Aida has already left with the other guards_," a guard had spoken-

.

Thinking about it, Oz realized the guard had been lying. God knows what happened to his precious little sister, all he could hope for was that she got out of the fire safely.

"Hah, I can't walk anymore…." He muttered weakly while coughing up more blood. His whole body hurt. This was no good, he was going to faint in this dark tunnel. Would they even find him? He had just kept running, not even trying to look at which way he was going.

"Perhaps I'm just walking around in circles… everything looks the same after all." He sighed, "Do you think I'll ever see the daylight again?" he then joked; "That sure sounds dramatic… don't you-" he coughed again, more blood dripping down his chin. "This… is new," he leaned against the wall heavily,

**They're coming**. an eerie voice whispered in his mind, B-rabbit had spoken.

"Are they?" he hummed softly, letting himself slide down against the wall, silently ordering his chain to close its eyes. There were no more red lights, everything turned dark, and the boy kept quiet. Waiting for the Baskervilles to catch up with him-

"I'd thought that you wouldn't have given up without a fight, boy." Lottie sighed, she slowed down when she saw the boy sitting down on the cold ground, honestly… she would have never thought to have seen the poor boy in this sort of state. The young woman had actually grown to like him. She had talked with the young prince at the ball, and had listened to his cousin _Jack_'s jokes. She was still wearing the same beautiful black dress from earlier that night, though it no longer looked as beautiful as it originally had been, the red Baskerville cloak hid most of it, but Oz could see she had suffered as well. And yet here she was, following the new Glen's orders like the loyal woman she was.

"I'm too tired," the boy answered honestly, breathing heavy, he felt relieved that it was Lottie whom found him, they had known each other for some time now, surely she could help him convince Oswald- no, _Glen_ that there must have been some misunderstanding.

"Then I guess taking you back to the palace won't be difficult," she spoke calmly while reaching out her hand to him, Oz gazed at her hand before accepting it and letting her help him to his feet.

"How's Alice?" he then asked quietly, catching the Baskerville off guard for a second,

Her eyes became sad when thinking about the princess, "As always, you're worrying about others, when it should be your own life to worry about..." she knew the prince was a hopeless case, so sighed, "There was poison in some of the food, princess Alice... ate a lot at the party... She's suffering."

"You know I didn't do it," Oz then spoke, "I would never do this! I-I didn't know about this-" he wanted to see Alice, the boy started coughing again, Charlotte gazed with big eyes at him, this boy- this small and weak boy that barely knew how to protect himself... how many times has she seen him trying to protect others, trying to protect Alice… there was no way that he knew anything of this. "I know," she then nodded and glanced over her shoulders at the other two Baskervilles, new members of the family," both waiting patiently for her to tie Oz's hands behind his back, seal B-rabbit's powers so that they could leave. "That's why I'm letting you go," the woman acted fast, summoning her chain Leon, the albino lion stood between the Baskervilles, Lottie, and Oz. Standing in front of the young prince, defending him,

"Lottie-"

"Go, boy!" she said firmly, "Don't you dare slow down!"

"You'll get hanged for this, traitor!" one of the Baskervilles shouted,

"Not if you two won't be able to tell anyone," she smirked, "Leon!" the woman then pushed the prince away, "Go!"

For a second, it seemed that Oz wanted to hesitate but then he nodded and ran away, it seemed like that was all he was good at. The boy took a deep breath, luckily B-rabbit was by his side to bring him some light, otherwise he might have not seen the stairs that led him down… "Honestly… how much deeper must I go?" he pondered aloud, while running down the stairs.

* * *

"It sure is busy, today." Vincent hummed while mounting his horse to move aside for the two guards,

"They're looking for the Vesalius'," his older brother, Gilbert, nodded. His horse carried all their belongings so he did not sit on it, and instead let it follow him through the crowd. People were gathering around to watch one of the guards beating a young man that had joked about the Vesalius' starting a new war, it was for the best if they just stayed out of it. The workday was over, so heading home was the best option.

"Ah right, rumors said they poisoned the Baskerville's princess after all," Vincent nodded, "How odd… I don't remember anyone from the Vesalius' coming to me though."

"Don't say that so loud," Gilbert sighed while taking a drag from his cigarette that he had just lit up, honestly he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. If one of the guards caught wind of Vincent selling illegal potions; they'd be in trouble for sure. As if they didn't get enough attention already when people saw his younger brother's one red eye. That was the reason why Vincent wore a long cloak with a hood that would hide his face.

"It's true though," the blond haired young man said with an amused tone. They had reached the city borders by then, heading off into the countryside, where they owned a small house with a big enough garden to grow their own medical plants. Since Vincent was good at making poisons, it was illegal in Baskerville, the best way to grow those plants without getting too much unwanted attention was for them to open up a pharmacy… if it wasn't for Gil, his brother would have gotten caught by now. While he did not like what his brother did, he knew they needed the money in order to survive. That is, if they did not want to live in the streets again.

"So you admit it's your poison?" he then asked,

"Surely I would recognize the effect of my own poison,"

"Honestly…"

"To think my poison got so famous that it's used on the royal household, it sure is a great honor."

"You really don't know where to draw the line, do you?" his older brother glared at the child of misfortune,

"It's their own fault," Vincent shrugged while that amused smile never left his face, "You know how they treat the queen, even though she is a child of misfortune herself. The royal household has always looked down on children of misfortune," he hummed, "You hate them as well, right, brother?"

Because they made the life of his brother a living hell, Gilbert kept his mouth shut, but his thoughts were written all over his face. He sighed while throwing the cigarette away, instead choosing to gaze up at the sky. "It's going to rain again,"

"It has been raining for a whole week," Vincent nodded, "It wouldn't be much of a surprise."

"No it wouldn't…" he replied whilst following the road, golden eyes then widened for just a second, "Ah, didn't you say no one from the Vesalius kingdom bought poison from you? How are you so sure that makes them innocent? They could have just sold it?"

Vincent nodded, "I never said I'd think they were innocent, I was just thinking aloud, brother." He hummed,

And that seemed to be the end of their rather pointless conversation, both brothers didn't mind being in each other's presence and remaining silent. Just walking alongside each other was more then fine, Gilbert started thinking about what he could prepare for dinner while Vincent's thoughts remained a secret.

It was quiet, for a long time… the walk home by foot was a good forty minutes, yet both males did not seem bothered by the silence at all.

Neither brothers would have thought that if they had left work a little earlier or a little later, they would never have bumped into a certain someone-

Because on the road to home, there was a small building, the door had disappeared a long time ago so the staircase that led through the tunnels underground was clear to see. Those tunnels connected both the Vesalius and Baskerville kingdom, it was used in the war years ago to smuggle people and weapons from one country to another, however they hadn't been used in a long time… though they wouldn't be surprised if Glen ordered the Baskervilles or guards to start using them again.

They would have never imagined that someone would actually walk out of the building, covered in dirt and blood, coughing so hard that he couldn't breath. "Vince," Gil warned his younger brother to slow down the horse, in case the person was dangerous… not that he looked all that threatening a person at all, on the contrary he looked very much like a small boy. He hadn't even noticed the two brothers.

"Ah-…" Gilbert tried to call out to the boy, but he would never get a response,

Because that boy was none other than the runaway crown prince Oz Vesalius, whose sick body had finally gave up. The boy tried to break his fall, which was hard, with an unfocused gaze… at the end he collapsed and all the lights went out as soon as he hit the ground.

"Oh my," Vincent mumbled amused, "It's raining," he then held up a hand, the first droplet had fallen right on his white horse's head, and it was followed by many others.

The prince had collapsed on a muddy road, with only those two strangers to take care of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I know it's a bit later than promised, I'll try to do my best to finish the next chapter in time :D **

**Thanks to the amazing: Luscinia's Lullaby for being my Beta-reader. **

**This story is for: Ozbert Fangirl **

**I do not own Pandora Hearts.**

* * *

When Gilbert had been young, a small and weak boy growing up on the streets, he had wanted to join the National Guard. He had wanted to wear that shining red armor, wanted to protect people. With the money he would get from that job he could buy a house big enough for both him and his younger brother, Vincent whom had been born with the eye of a child of misfortune, to live in. The reason Gil's life turned into such a hell was because his mother could not bear to look at the child with the red eye, and since the raven haired child had come out of the same womb –as she liked to say it-, she had dumped him as well. Putting both brothers on the street at a young age, it was a miracle both had even managed to survive. Vincent had a weak body; the winters had been the toughest. Their mother had been delusional, and perhaps it was for the best she left them… god knows what would have happened to his younger brother if the woman had tried to keep them. He couldn't even remember what she looked like…

Gilbert gave up on the Royal Guard dream when he hit puberty, old enough to realize that those men looked down on them because they were street-rats, as they liked to call them, and because in their eyes all the misfortune was caused by a child with red eyes. "_The reason why this country has had more rainy days than sunny is because the Queen is a child of misfortune_," one of them had once told the two young brothers after beating them up because they were 'walking in the way'. With Vincent crying in his arms, he held his brother close, protecting him with his small frame. "_Perhaps the sun will finally shine as soon as we've killed all the Children of Misfortune_." one of them had said with a mocking glare on his face as he kicked the poor infants once again.

-"_Big words coming from a coward_." a disembodied voice spoke,

-"_What_-?" they had all looked up at the same time, hands on the grip of their swords,

-"_Have you ever thought about what happens when those so called Misfortune children grow up_?" it was as if the voice came from everywhere, it filled the dark alleyway with its mocking tone,

He remembered a dark figure looming over those so called 'protectors' of the country, the shadow seemed to take away all of the light in the already very dark alley, Gil remembered the sound of steel cutting through human flesh. It had rang through his ears as one of the three guards fell face first into the mud, "_Because after years of walking around with this grudge… years of humiliation, self-mockery, fear- they grow up. Become stronger-_" the other guard had fallen on the ground as well, choking on his own blood as the sword had pierced right through his neck, his eyes were wide from shock. "_And they will remember the names of those who've humiliated them_,"

"_Y-you are_-" the raven had managed to utter,

The red eyed ghost.

* * *

"Gil."

The young raven looked up from the newspaper he had been gazing at for quite some time now, he had been reading an article about the big fire during the royal ball. Its purpose had been to make the wedding between the crown prince of the Vesalius kingdom and the youngest princess of the Baskerville kingdom official, only for it to end up in chaos. It hadn't interested him much… it didn't have anything to do with his job, that was before he recognized the face of the boy sleeping in their spare room. Well, he thought he had recognized him. Perhaps he was wrong? Because how odd were the chances of them just bumping into the runaway prince of their enemy country?

"He threw up again," Vincent sighed,

Raven nodded and quickly got up, "I thought you liked seeing this sort of stuff,"

"I like to see the effects of my poison, _yes._ I _do _**not** like to see what said victim ate the day before… not that there's much left of it, then again." The young male had braided his long blond hair and let it hang loosely over his right shoulder while a single red ribbon kept it together, some strands of hair had gotten loose and were framing his face. A pair of heterochromatic eyes followed the young man into the spare room, it was a small space, with only a small closet, a bed and a desk in it. It was meant for when Echo, the child of the people living just a bit further away, stayed over. She had never been a fan of places that stood out, so both brothers never really put anything in it, unless she asked for it. And Echo wasn't the type to ask for much. She liked helping Vincent in the garden, and her parents didn't really like her much thanks to her split personality. Echo hadn't visited for quite some time now; perhaps she had finally found a boyfriend? Neither Gil nor Vince had really tried to figure it out. They simply accepted that she visited them less.

Gilbert sighed, cleaning the boy's mouth with a damp cloth. The boy was sleeping again; there were times where he would open his eyes for a short time before he'd lose consciousness once again. He was exhausted, poor lad must have been on the run for quite some time.

In those short times he'd be conscious, both had tried to talk with him, but usually the boy just mumbled something before closing his eyes again. They wouldn't even have been surprised if the boy didn't even realize he was awake, to him everything must be some odd fever-induced dream. They were lucky enough that they could at least give him a bit of water to drink before he'd doze off again. Eating was a completely different story… when was the last time he had eaten anyway?

"Why do you even care so much about this boy?" Vincent asked his brother with a flat voice while leaning against the doorway.

"I don't." he coolly brushed his brother's question off,

"Then why did you carry him to this place? You even got injured when the boy's chain tried to attack you. If it weren't for Raven-"

"I figured that it wouldn't hurt to help him, it's not like we _don't_ have anything to treat his illness with." the raven spoke calmly, not turning around to face his younger brother. They had more than enough handmade medicine in this place; _they __sold medicine for crying out loud!_

"It's only a cover up, you know that." Vincent hummed, unamused. "Until Pandora needs us again,"

"They made it rather clear they don't want you to return after that blunder you made," making an illegal contract with another chain.

"Has Raven already complained?" his younger brother ignored him, he glared at the unconscious boy who had a thin layer of sweat over his whole body, Gil wiped some away with the damp cloth. The bucket that the small boy had thrown up in had to be cleaned up… _hah_. Another sigh. "I'm sure he's scolding you by now, probably regretting he made a contract with you." he had a tired expression on his face, even though the ghost of a smile begged to differ.

"Vince-"

"You should do something about this awful habit of yours," it wasn't often Vincent got irritated in his brother's presence, but it wasn't the first time they had to suffer because Gil could not bring it to himself to leave someone injured alone. The raven has tried ignoring it, he had become better at it… he almost never batted an eye when walking around the capital city filled with poor people, sick, old, young… he walked past them and ignored their prayers. Yet what made this small teenager so special? _This_ brat? "Eventually, it'll become the blade that kills you, brother." He drew out a breath and pushed himself off the doorway, his movements elegant. "I'll be visiting Echo, have _fun_ with your new… _toy_." He chuckled airily, waved loosely and then left.

Gil felt tired, Vincent was right. It was embarrassing to admit that he as the older brother always found a way to bring bad luck on them, but it was the truth. He cared too much about the people who could stab him in the back at any moment. What made this boy any different?

I could just kill him and be over with it. Vincent would be the only one to know… he wouldn't even bat an eye. He'd be pleased- relieved.

There was a potion in the building at the back of their garden, all he had to do was go get it, it wouldn't hurt the boy at all… the teen would be freed of all his misery and pain… the poison had already taken a huge toll on his body, it was a miracle he was still breathing.

So young, what was he thirteen? Fourteen? He was rather small, yet when bringing him to this small house, Vincent had easily noticed the boy had been poisoned… it had been a poison he made himself, so easily recognized the symptoms. "It's a poison that does not in point of fact kills the victim, it kills of the white soldiers, the poison itself does not kill you. A mere cold would. Although, I must compliment the brat, he's had it in his system for more than four weeks, and yet has still managed to get this far- he would have gotten even further, if the poison had not gotten mixed up with another." Had it been a mistake? Had the person trying to kill him gotten tired of the boy's strong willpower to live?

This boy had fought against this for weeks now, his willpower to live was strong… how could Gil ever take his life away from him?

Another sigh… he truly was an idiot.

* * *

The screams of suffering were unbearable, a small girl with long snow white hair had burst out in tears as a tall young woman with short pink haired tried to calm her down, she could no longer stand to be in the same room as her twin sister.

"The doctors have tried everything, they don't know what sort of poison it is." Dug came out of the room of the youngest princess; Alice Baskerville had been in agony since they had escaped from that fire, which was now three days ago. They had tried everything, but nothing took the pain away. And the new Glen wasn't helping much either, still not having forgiven her for standing between him and the traitor, _Oz Vesalius_. If she hadn't stood in their way, they might have been able to capture the _last_ surviving Vesalius and he might have been able to tell them what sort of poison had been put into the wine she had drank. This was all her fault.

"_Where is he_?" Glen had showed up in her room without knocking, the girl had been coughing up blood at the time, already so weak because of the blood loss, her skin was now as pale as snow, her lips purple and her eyes bloodshot… if this continued any longer, the doctors were afraid she might not make it to the end of the week. The brunette had been shivering from head to toe yet she did not want any blankets, they made it too hot. Then she needed ten because it was too cold- "_Where is the traitor? You should know, since your chains are connected._" Glen had asked in a monotone voice, eyes cold as he gazed at his 'favorite' cousin. Abyss, Alice's twin sister, whom was named after that twisted and dark dimension where chains came from, had hated him from the bottom of her heart for as long as they could remember, while Alice had always liked her uncle. She liked to tease him together with her mother, while Abyss walked away from him… Alice had disappointed them. Which lead to this-

-"_I… don't know_," the girl had answered weakly, even though she was exhausted, she still had enough strength left to hold her chin upright and glare at the man.

-"_You're lying_," the man had narrowed his violet colored eyes, the same as hers. In her memories, she had always seen them warm up when he was talking to her but that day they had been cool and distant. Nothing like the kind-hearted man from her memories;

-"_I'm_–**cough, cough**. More blood on her hands- _not_!"

-"_Sir- please, the princess needs to res_t-"

-"_Give me answers. Otherwise, you will die._" there was a hint of concern in his voice, it was faint, but still there.

-"_Do you think I like being in pain_!?" she had snapped, "_If Oz had the answers and I knew where he was, I would have told you_!" she almost choked, being out of breath just because of raising her voice. Her throat hurt, her body had made too much mucus which made it hard to breath, and with the blood coming up every time she coughed… "_Something is wrong_…" she had softly admitted, "_W-rabbit has tried to contact B-rabbit many times… it's as if there's something holding the contract back_."

-"_Like what_?"

-"**_How the hell should I_**-" she coughed again, Abyss had tried to push her back down on the bed, sitting up was bad for her head, it made the brunette dizzy and she threw up way faster like this, "-_Know_-" she wheezed, "_It's obviously_-" the girl had to stop, gasping for air like a fish on land, this was bad! She was going to pass out soon. "_Powerful enough to weaken the contract. As long as Oz… Oz stays c-close to whatever is holding the contract back- I cannot… contact him or feel his presence._" oh how this made the boy even sound more suspicious.

-"_Is there a chain powerful enough to weaken contracts?_" Glen had asked Lottie whom had stood behind him the whole time, even though the young woman had failed at capturing the prince, it had only been because he had used B-rabbit against her resulting in her now badly injured left arm. He had still forgiven her, saying that the death of her best friend, Fang, had slowed her down. She was told to take it easy for a while… a lot of Baskervilles had died. Even the two new recruits that had been sent off to help Charlotte had been killed by B-rabbit as well. "_I can't think of one… with the exception of the black feathered chains, Gryphon, Owl, Dodo, Raven… but we've already visited the Rainsworth, Barmas and Nightrays. Not a single trace of B-rabbit._" Since B-rabbit was a powerful chain, hiding his presence was rather complicated. Even a mere commoner that knew nothing of the Abyss could feel its evil presence.

-"_I see_," Glen nodded and then left, not even telling his cousin to get better soon.

-"_Asshole_…" Alice had muttered under her breath,

-"_I know he is_." Abyss had agreed, "_Now calm down and get some more rest_,"

-"_Abyss_-" Alice had grabbed her wrist, even though she was sick, the grip on the older twin's wrist hurt, "_Promise me_-" she sucked in a deep breath, "_You will do anything to keep them away from Oz."_

-"_But Oz is a traitor._" Why couldn't her sister understand this?

-"_He's not- before I lost contact- I felt his confusion_-"

-"_He could have faked it_."the white haired girl had furrowed her brows in concern, not believing that even after everything that had happened, she still chooses to remain loyal to the person whose family had put her in this state.

-"_Abyss- I know what I'm talking 'bout. Just protect him at all costs until I get better_."

The girl had nodded, "_Promise,_"

Alice scoffed, "_You better…_."


	3. Chapter 3

**This on turned out longer than expected! Which is good :D **  
**I do not own Pandora Hearts. **

**Birthday fic for: Ozbertfangirl**

**Betareader: Luscinia's Lullaby**

* * *

Alice was dying.

And Abyss was running out of ideas, tears were rolling down the young princess's cheeks as she ran out of the palace, pulling the black hood of her cape over her snow white hair. She tried to wipe them away and stay strong but only more would follow the others. The princess took a deep breath, it was chilly today and the sky was foggy, a day where people would be minding their own business and not paying too much attention to a young girl walking alone… or so she hoped.

Sneaking out of the palace without any guards was something someone like Alice would do, the girl chuckled softly to herself, it was sad and hollow, but the thoughts of her twin sister made her warm up a little inside as she walked to one of the many trees near the gates, it would only be a matter of time before one of the guards spotted her so she didn't hesitate and grabbed the first branch in her arms' reach, setting her left foot on the trunk, lifting herself up so that she could grab another branch with her other arm. The white haired princess had never been good at climbing, Alice had been better at such things and of course when the brown haired girl had met prince Oz - someone who could climb trees as well - she had been more than pleased to climb together in the highest tree while Abyss had shouted from the safe ground that it was dangerous and that they should come down, this of course led to the two soon to be wed teens bursting out in laughter.

Abyss gritted her teeth, making sure not to look back down because of her fear of heights. "The things I do for my sister," she half joked, just a little more _and_-  
Her foot slipped, the girl gasped for air as her hands let go of the branch, she desperately tried to grab something in the air- _Help! I'm going to fall!_ She shut her eyes tight and embraced herself for the fall.

Something grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the wall where she could sit down, princess Abyss opened her eyes in surprise and gazed straight into the single red eye of her chain, Cheshire.

A relieved smile appeared on the Baskerville's face, "Thank you," she breathed out,

"Is not a problem," the cat purred, already starting to vanish again, "Be careful, mistress!"

"I will!" she laughed as she let herself fall of the high walls, landing gracefully on the ground. Grateful that no one had seen her jump, so the princess quickly ran away.

Running as fast as she could, her hood blew off her head because of the wind, if not for her hair being tied up it would have gotten loose as well and flutter behind as well.

Abyss finally slowed down when she reached the local market, quickly pulling the black hood back over her head so that people would not recognize her. She easily blended into the crowd. Looking for anyone who was selling medicine.

Of course she realized how stupid this was, she had no idea what sort of poison Alice had taken in, and she didn't know anything about antidotes, but she was desperate and everyone was keeping her out of _this_ and treating her like a kid- she wanted to help her sister! Not just sit there and wait for the poison to do its job.

But what could she do? The girl felt tears burning in her eyes once again and took a deep breath, crying wasn't going to get her anywhere.

Her eyes widened a bit when she noticed a man dressed in black standing behind a medicine stall, there were many other people selling medication yet this particular young man stand stood out to her. The princess narrowed her eyes slightly as she stepped closer to the stand, the man had long blond hair, he would have been better off being a knight with his handsome features rather than a simple pharmacist. But that's not what caught her attention at all; it was the crimson red eye that demanded her attention… a child of misfortune.

_Just like her mother-_

"Looking for something?" the young man asked with a slightly amused smile, even though the look in his eyes was bored and indifferent, as if he couldn't wait to leave this place. She had never seen him here before, princess Abyss had often wandered around the market, accompanied by the Baskervilles, but not once had she seen this handsome man. "A-ah… yes, I'm looking for… a…" she lowered her gaze and read some of the many difficult names on the bottles; _hah_… she didn't know what any of those names meant.

"Ah yes, I do believe we have one of those." The man said, was he mocking her? Yet… she cocked her head slightly to left, he spoke as if he knew something.

"I'm… looking for an antidote." She softly spoke, her eyes big and hopeful.

"Don't they all?" the man chuckled, "Some are looking for something against a headache, others for their sore back…"

"No! I- that's not what I mean-… I'm- my si- my dog has been poisoned."

"Try the vet," the man yawned, yet the ghost of a smile never left his face, he seemed to know exactly what she needed. But such a thing could not be possible… right?

"Please, sir." The princess gazed straight into his bored eyes that didn't seem to pity her at all, "I need help, it's important. My d-_dog_- might die… and no one knows what sort of poison it is." she was on the edge of crying again, god how she hated herself right now.

"Do you know the price of antidotes, _princess_?" he asked her,

She froze when he called her that, was it meant as a nickname? Or did this man truly know about the royal blood that ran through her veins, no, she shook her head. He couldn't even see her face properly thanks to the shadow of her hood… there was no way this man knew who she was. "I can pay, my father is very rich!" ah- her eyes started to water again. Her father had died in the fire… she sniffed and angrily wiped a tear away.

This stranger still looked at her with an expression that showed no pity, but either he finally caught on or really did know what she had been looking for. "Well, I have this… it works for almost every deathly poison." He showed a small green bottle with a dark liquid in it to her.

She reached her hand out to it but stopped halfway, shaking her head. "This is not what I'm searching for," she spoke, somewhere in the back of her head she could hear her chain hiss, he did not like this stranger. Not that Abyss was much of a fan of him herself; he made a shiver run down her back. "Please, sir! I'll pay you as much as you want. Give me an antidote for my _siste_r!" she hadn't realized her mistake.

"I might have something for you, but what you want is not cheap."

"I _don'_t care- _please_!" she held out her hand to him, it was as if the world had slowed down, in her head she could hear a clock ticking… this man, with that eerie smile on his face had known exactly what she had been looking for from the start. _How_? How did he even know what poison it was? Why did he have an antidote while doctors from overseas didn't even know what had happened to her sister?

The man dropped a purple bottle with white liquid in the palm of her hand and with his warm hands, he guided her fingers to hold onto it as he said his price- it was indeed very expensive and she doubted she had that much money with her. The girl nodded and handed him her bag of golden coins, she then started removing all of her jewelry and handed it to the man without a second thought. With this, Alice could be saved. "Now, tell me how to use it," she spoke softly, watching as the man put all of it away with just one arm movement.

"Put it in her drink before she sleeps, your_ sister_ will be cured."

"Thank you…" she bowed her head and then left, there were probably a lot more things she should say, she should have asked at least his name but there was no time for that. The princess started running again, her mind was a mess and she didn't even apologize to the people she ran into, she stood out- but didn't care.

Alice was saved.

For the first time in a whole week she could laugh again, it bubbled up from inside her stomach and left her mouth as the first droplets fell out of the grey sky. But the princess didn't care, she laughed as she kept running.

* * *

"I don't think he went to the village…" Gilbert said to the sleeping boy as he gazed outside the window, the rain was ticking against the thick glass- Vincent had taken two horses… one to carry everything and one to ride. Which meant he would be travelling farther than usual. The raven, never liked it when Vincent went somewhere he couldn't get to fast enough unless he used Raven, what if the blond haired male was in danger? He wouldn't be able to do anything… wouldn't know anything.

It made him feel powerless, not worthy being the older brother... And Gil did not want to be anything like that small and weak boy that lived on the streets again.

He didn't have much time to think about his brother, because that's when the small blond haired teen made a soft sound. The young man looked over his shoulder at the boy, thinking he'd awaken for another short moment, where he'd just look around and then doze off again. Sometimes he was lucky and the boy would actually sit up and let Gil feed him, wash him, change his clothes… but he'd soon lose consciousness again, not speaking even once.

"Ah, would you like to drink something?" he asked, usually if the boy needed something he'd sit up… of course Gil would have to figure out what exactly he needed by himself.

The boy once again did not respond, but something seemed different- his eyes were no longer foggy and he lethargically gazed around the room as he rubbed his tired face with his right hand, breathing in through his nose- it was only then that he realized someone had spoken to him. The boy blinked a few times before his gaze rested on the tall young man who had been standing near the window this whole time. Confusion was written all over his face- well, at least they were getting somewhere if the teen was already able to show emotions.

Golden eyes widened in surprise when the boy opened his mouth and actual words came out of it, "Who… are you?" ah no, he realized that was perhaps the wrong question to begin with… Gilbert was just too surprised to even respond, he gazed at the boy with realization written all over his face, "Where am I?" he then asked and looked around once more, _this place didn't look familiar at all_.

Before Gil could answer, the boy already seemed to be losing consciousness once again, holding his head as he tried to stay awake just a bit longer. There were so many things he wanted to ask… but his questions would have to wait. Gilbert sighed as he walked towards the bed and gently pushed the boy back down again. "It's alright, we'll talk once you get better."

Even though the words were meant to calm the boy down, they didn't seem to have that effect on him at all, holding onto this strange raven haired man, his eyes narrowed as he tried desperately to remember what had happened, how he got here and who this man was- ...but nothing seemed to work. His mind was foggy and the world was starting to fade away right in front of his eyes.

"It's alright, it's alright." The man kept repeating those words in such a composed voice, that the boy who had been about to go into a panic attack slowly calmed down. His body started to relax and he let go of the Raven's sleeve,

"…Your… name?" the boy then asked softly, Raven didn't get the chance to answer because that's when the blond haired teen had fallen asleep again.

* * *

That had been the first time the boy had talked to him, the boy had been awake enough to actually talk and let Gil's words sink in, he had understood them. That was a good thing, right?

"He's showing improvement, yes." Vincent had agreed after throwing the newspaper on the small wooden table in the middle of their kitchen, the blond yawned as he leaned against the counter; his hair was slightly damp after having to travel from the capital city to home through the rain. Not that his brother needed to know he had travelled that far and had gotten richer by such a small effort. "It's taking longer than I hoped, I must admit." He then continued with a slightly bored expression, a white towel resting on his shoulder so that his clothes wouldn't get wet. "Oh well, I've never treated a patient that mixed two of my poisons before, I guess I can't complain."

"I guess not," the raven agreed, his words not really getting through him as he grabbed the newspaper and started reading it himself, eyes widened just a bit when he read the headline. The man took a deep breath, reading the rather long article. "You knew." he sounded tired.

"It wasn't hard to figure it out," Vincent nodded, "Don't worry brother. I won't tell anyone as long as you want to keep his presence a secret." Vincent easily waved it off with that composed smile on his face,

-_Of course he won't tell anyone. The few people that knew Vincent knew him as someone who never kept his promises, that was because the young male was loyal to only one person_.-

Gilbert sighed as he gazed at the picture of the traitorous Vesalius family from their neighboring country, they all had a cross on their face, except for the boy standing next to the king, the picture was in black and white yet he still recognized him. "Oz Vesalius," he read aloud, he then looked at the reward you'd get for turning him in, "That's a lot of money…".

"It will only be a matter of time before they start knocking on our door," Vincent sighed, not being in the mood to deal with annoying people. Neither was Gil, both had frowns on their faces as they went through the risks of keeping the boy here. What good would come out of it for them?

"Perhaps we should do it…" Raven then spoke after a rather long silence, "Imagine what we could do with this money… I don't think we'd ever have to work again." He continued, still gazing at the newspaper so that he did not see how his younger brother's eyes widened, Vincent remained silent as he spoke. "B-besides, we've already done enough for him. Honestly, why are we still keeping him here…._ right_?"

The answer he got was nothing like he expected, Vincent had burst out laughing, having to hold his stomach as he leaned heavily against the counter, otherwise he'd fall.

"Wh-what?" a rather flustered and confused Gil asked,

"Oh brother, like you could do that." The blond said, wiping away a tear.

"I'm being serious, though!" Gilbert angrily got up from his chair, no he was not. How could he ever turn in someone that young? The boy had been so small, so weak… when he found him. The newspaper had said he was already fifteen years old yet the male had thought he was younger. Vincent had easily seen through that lie, the only reason he had said it was to convince himself. Vincent would have done it without a second thought. The only reason the boy was still here was because he did not have the strength to turn his back on people in need.

"What can we do with him, though?" He sighed as he sat down again,

"I've always wanted a servant," Vincent said with a smile on his face.

Gilbert gave him a confused glare.

"I'm joking." The blond laughed.

"Lady Dalia has always wanted a little brother, hasn't she?" he then mumbled as he gazed outside the window, head resting in the palm of his head.

"Are you thinking about handing him over to Miss Garland?" Vincent asked, the smile never left his face. Yet his voice sounded bitter, showing his brother whom had already gotten used to this behavior, how much he truly despised the woman.

"I don't think there's much else we can do for him, he's from royalty after all. Lady Dalia will surely give him everything he needs until it's safe for him to come out again."

"We'll see…" Vincent nodded, gaze falling on something just behind Gil.

"A-ah sorry!" _No_. Not "something", _someone_. It seemed that their prince had woken up once again and this time had been able to walk. Gilbert didn't know how long he had been standing in that doorway and how much he had heard, neither could he understand how the boy had snuck up there without either Vincent nor Raven noticing him in time. Both were trained hunters; even though it had been some time since they were last sent on a mission for Pandora. "I… just…" he pointed to something over his shoulder, probably meaning in his room. "I woke up… a while ago and…"

"You're hungry." Vincent finished his sentence, a wild guess and it was obvious that was not what the boy had wanted to say, if he even knew what he had been trying to say at all, _that is_.

The prince's stomach growled just at that moment and he desperately tried to hide his embarrassment; glancing nervously at the raven-haired man that he remembered from the previous time he had woken up. "N… no I just…"

"It's fine, I should start making dinner anyway," Gil got up from his chair, "Would you like to drink something?"

"Ah… no, that's fine." The teen awkwardly mumbled as he lowered his gaze, instead looking at the too big shirt he was wearing. It was more of a dress really than a shirt to him. You could see that Gil had tried to make it a bit less obvious, having rolled up his sleeves and kept them in place with a paper-clip.

"Mint tea, please." Vincent answered instead,

"Go make it yourself," was the cold response.

"How mean, brother." Even though he said that, Vincent had an amused smile on his face. He then started looking for the mint leaves. "I sure hope you like mint-tea, prince."

There was silence.

Both brothers looked up at the same time to gaze at the small boy who had kept standing silently in the doorway, his eyes were wide open as he gazed with a startled expression at the younger brother. "Is there something the matter?"

"A-Ah… no." Oz shook his head quickly, "It's fine."

"Oh my, brother. I think he might be scared that we'll betray him for a _huge amount_ of money." Vincent said in a laughing tone.

"Oh…" Gil glanced at the prince, "We won't." he explained to the small boy, "Don't worry about that… stay as long as you like, I guess."

Apparently, that didn't seem to calm him down, but he still sat down, not sure what else there was that he could do or say. He really was short for his age, Gil noted when seeing the boy barely touched the floor with his toes. His big emerald colored eyes scanned around the kitchen. Had the prince ever been in a kitchen before? The raven then silently wondered as he started cutting the vegetables that would go into the soup. "How much do you remember?" he then asked, he was both trying to start a conversation and testing if the teen's memory was okay. "Of the party?"

There was no answer; Oz had slightly bowed his head as he gazed at the palms of his hands with a painful expression, remembering the party vividly. He could still imagine Alice talking to him, wearing a beautiful green dress, the color of the Vesalius household. She had never been a fan of dresses, but Sharon had helped her choose this one… he remembered how lovely she had looked and how she wouldn't stop complaining about how much she hated parties. The prince remembered the many breaks he had to take because he had been ill at the time, how Alice had always remained by his side and waited patiently for him to get some of his strength back. Oz had talked with many people that night; the Baskervilles, people he had never met, Sharon Rainsworth, Xerxes Break, people from the Nightray and Barma households and then of course his_ own_-... "My family," he suddenly looked up, "_Everyone_-...A... are they alright?"

It was as if all they really could do was answer with silence, Gilbert didn't know how to explain this calmly to the boy and Vincent didn't seem to be in the mood to explain things to him. Of course, the youngest brother was being tactless and simply pushed the newspaper towards the prince before he turned around again, to keep an eye on the water he was boiling.

"Vince!" of course, his brother did not agree with this way of explaining,

"Let him read it, Gil. He'll have to find it out sooner or later anyway." The blond man easily waved it off, "Look after the tea," he said, then there were no more words exchanged after that, Gil handed him the knife he had used to cut the vegetables and they switched places.

Oz noticed this, but did not comment on it as he was too focused on reading the article. The prince didn't have to read much to understand what had happened. As if time had slowed down, he could hear a faint ringing in his ears as he read a particular sentence over and over again. _Dead.__They were dead_.

His Father, his little sister, and his uncle… they_ are_ dead. Looking at one of the pictures he saw the corpse of little Aida with her face in the mud, whomever had taken the picture and chose to put it in this article had no respect for the Vesalius family at all. This couldn't be true, right? He had talked with his uncle and Aida! He had seen his father at the party! How could they just… be dead? They had failed to escape from the fire. Which meant Miss Kate had lied, she had told him they had gotten out since that would have been the only way to convince her master to leave as well.

The prince didn't even look up when Gil put a cup of warm tea on the table for him, he didn't talk at all, just stayed there, still holding the newspaper as he gazed at nothing in particular.

_Why_?

They did not deserve a death like this… their bodies had been burned with all the others and that was that. No funeral, no ceremony… nothing. He hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye.

It felt like something had snapped inside of him, someone had dug a huge hole into his chest, his throat hurt, his eyes were burning and the whole world had just stopped breathing for a while. Everyone thought he was a traitor, his family was dead.

This was a disaster.

"Look… uhm, your grace-" or whatever you're supposed to call a prince, Gilbert awkwardly started after Vincent had put a hot bowl of soup in front of the boy who still had not responded, "I…"

"Oz." the boy finally let his gaze rest on the food, only a short time ago he had been hungry and would have eaten right away… but he couldn't eat anymore. "Just Oz." that was all there was, really. What was he now?

He was stuck in this country where everyone wanted his head, he had not a single penny in his pockets and no title.

He had lost everything he cared about in one single night, the realization hit him hard. Bowing his head once again, the prince's eyes were burning, but his eyes remained dry.

The raven haired man glanced at his younger sibling, both exchanging a knowing look before the older brother spoke, taking a deep breath...

"_Oz… then_."


	4. Chapter 4

**Birthdayfic for: Ozbertfangirl **

**Beta reader is the amazing Luscinia's Lullaby**

**I do not own Pandora Hearts. **

* * *

Vincent looked up for the first time since he had started working in their garden, his basket filled with different sorts of herbs, his gaze rested on the small frame who was sitting silently on some old wooden boxes against the walls that protected this beautiful garden from thieves. The teen was small for his age and had a rather melancholic expression on his face. His eyes were clouded and his face pale, and not only was he small, he was also very skinny… the effect of being sick for such a long time and not eating much after he had recovered. Honestly, it wasn't like Vincent could blame the small wounded prince for being upset, but it sure was a pain in the arse. He took a deep breath as he kneeled down again on the muddy ground to pick up some thyme.

His brother had put the boy there, three days had passed since he woke up and it had gotten rather obvious to both adults that the prince didn't know what to do while he was recovering. There wasn't much to do, neither was there much he wanted to do. He had offered to help many times, but Vincent had never been in the mood to teach him how, he was a prince and probably didn't know much about this sort of work, not to mention that Gilbert didn't want the Vesalius to overwork himself while he was still recovering.

He looked awful… those clothes that were too many sizes too big made him appear even smaller. It was as if the boy had tried to take up as little space as possible, hugging his knees close to his chest and gazing at nothing in particular. How long had he been sitting there anyway? The taller male wondered while his face remained indifferent, as long as he had been working… which, judging by what little sun, they could see behind those slightly gray clouds was… about two hours. Hah… well, it's better than letting him sit in the kitchen for the whole day. Vincent had often forgotten that the boy was there and almost threw a bag full of potatoes at him, he had wanted to throw them on the table but had luckily been fast enough to stop his arm midway. Honestly, the man sighed as he got up and rubbed some of the mud off his pants, putting the basket down as he walked around the plants and towards the boy. "Enjoying the weather, _prince_?" he asked with the slightest hint of a smile on his face,

Green eyes met his pair of heterochromatic eyes, gazing into those melancholic eyes gave him a nostalgic feeling, how often had he looked at his reflection and met the eyes of a small and weak boy that knew he was _useless, weak, powerless, poor_… and that everything was his fault? But Vincent didn't show any sign of empathy, didn't let the boy in, his eyes remained cold and his body posture distant, an outsider would think he was trying to be polite and start some small talk while the truth was different. Vincent only wanted the boy to get over it… but in the back of his head, he knew that that was a very hypocritical thought. It had taken him years to get over the fact he had been abandoned by his family, that the reason why Gilbert was into this mess was because of him. Years… Gilbert had been the only reason for him to stay alive, the one that never gave up, the one that always had a bright and cheerful smile on his face even though he was in more pain than Vince.

"….Yeah…" the boy offered a weak smile, though knew it really didn't matter if he tried in front of this strange young man, Vince carried the scent of flowers mixed with tea, unlike his brother who smelled of coffee, cigarettes and gunpowder. He had already noticed the pair of guns that the man always carried around.

Vincent took a deep breath, slightly bored, and put both hands into the pockets of his black dirtied pants. Honestly, why did he even bother trying to talk with this brat? The question was obvious, because in these past three days it had gotten rather obvious that Gil had taken an interest in the prince. His brother had always been gentle when helping people, but it was as if his kindness was at a completely different level when he took care of the boy's wounds, as if he was a fragile porcelain doll that could break with just the slightest touch.

Well… the blond haired young man couldn't really blame his older brother for thinking like that. Three days ago this small boy had woken up… he didn't eat much and only drank when Gilbert had ordered him to. He had offered many times to help, but it was obvious that the raven would never allow it so long as the boy did not get stronger. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his brother through the kitchen window, he was cleaning the cabinets with a focused gaze. How long before the taller male would see them talking and come to check? If you could even call this a conversation… he sighed.

"The newspapers say the princess is doing well," he then said while gazing into the distance, a bored expression on his face.

"Alice?" Oz gave him a hopeful look,

"She has been in a coma for almost a week now, unlike you… she doesn't wake up to eat and drink and be helpful when she needs to be washed... " -If this goes on, she'll eventually die.

"You… did that?"

"Oh no," he chuckled while shaking his head, "I wouldn't have the patience for that. No, my brother Gil was the one that stayed by your side this whole time." He nodded towards his brother who had finally stopped his movements to gaze at the two with a slightly troubled expression. "He's already getting worried that I might be telling you some cruel things," he hummed in amusement, as if he enjoyed the thought of making his older brother upset, the prince thought.

Oz furrowed his brows slightly, his voice was soft and seemed to come from far away while his face remained the same, his eyes red and foggy as if he was ready to burst into tears… the boy had probably already cried, Vincent noted, he hadn't got slept much either, _hah_. It would only be a matter of time before the boy got sick again, and this time not because of an illness caused by poison. "What sort of… cruel things?" the blond boy asked softly,

A smile appeared on the young man's face, for a second the prince expected him to ask, '_Do you really want to know_?', but the warning never came, "Perhaps things like… how your younger sister died wondering why her older brother had abandoned her like that." He said with a casual shrug.

He saw those eyes widen in shock when he heard this, saw how the boy got eaten alive by guilt, the boy didn't even protest, didn't defend himself… because Vincent knew, he knew what the boy was thinking. He had run away without making sure she was safe. He was the one that murdered her. He could have saved her! It was as if something snapped inside the boy, lowering his gaze… was that a tear?

"Vince!" Gilbert ran towards the two, but Vincent didn't wait for his older brother. Turning his back away from the small frame he walked towards the house, a scowl on his face. He was nothing like that spoiled brat that was somehow blessed with all of his beloved brother's attention.

"Oz!" Gil stopped right in front of the boy,

"I'm fine!" the boy flinched away from his touch, the man had simply tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm fine… so…" the teen did not look nor sound fine at all, he couldn't even finish his sentence because that was when his voice broke. He had to hide his face behind two hands, taking in a deep and shuddering breath to try and calm himself down, he was trembling from head to toe and probably holding back tears… the raven hesitated, before gently placing his hand on the boy's soft hair, feeling how he froze under his touch.

"Did he say something?" he asked with a soft and gentle voice,

To his surprise, the Vesalius shook his head. "No… it's my fault," he said quietly. "Everything is."

"What is…? Surviving?" the man didn't even need an explanation to know what the boy meant, he had stood in his shoes years ago… how he could remember the people he met on the streets, living under the same circumstances as them yet somehow they ended up dead. Some froze to death, others from hunger and thirst, some were killed for simply being in the way… as if god had turned their back on those people. Yet, what had made Gil so special that he had lived? Why was he still alive while others had worked much harder than him to stay alive? "Never blame yourself for staying alive," he scolded the boy, "You should be proud," ah, perhaps that wasn't the right word to use… he honestly sucked at giving advice and pep talks.

"Proud?" the boy snorted, finally looked up to meet his gaze, "Why… should I… even? I should have been the one-" he stopped and looked away, it was impressive how good he was at holding back his tears, biting his lip until it bled while avoiding to meet the tall man's gaze.

"You should have been the one that died back there? Is that what you were trying to say?" Gilbert asked,

There was no response,

"It's never too late for that,"

Eyes widened when hearing those words, the boy turned his head to meet a pair of golden eyes that had turned tired and irritated, "I'm sure we have enough poison to kill you… then you can follow your family. If that is what you wish."

"…I-" the boy spoke,

Not that the raven would let him talk, Raven was coming out again, this wasn't him at all… This was not Gilbert speaking, he had once again tried his best to help someone, something he had given up on doing since he hated to read in the newspaper how someone took their life again and that said person was someone he had tried to save so badly. This boy wasn't going to be any different than those others… and he was tired of getting upset, for feeling guilty because he could have saved them if he had tried harder!

"But just for one second, use that stupid spoiled head of yours and think about all the people still alive that will miss you! Have you ever thought about the people that still read the newspaper every day, scared that one day it'll write about your own death?" his voice was louder than usual. He should probably stop talking… the boy was already emotionally fragile right now. "I might not know much about politics, honestly…"he sighed while kneeling down so that he was almost at the same eye level as the boy, "Neither do I know how to help you get back your throne, but what I do know is that I will not let you die. Not on my watch."

Those eyes only grew bigger when hearing this,

"And Oz…" he gently held onto the boy's small hands, _they were so thin_… "It's okay to cry, no one here is going to judge a prince for simply behaving like a normal human being."

And that was that, those were the words that pushed the boy over the edge, tears were rolling down his cheeks and he didn't even flinch away when the young man gently pulled him closer with one arm in a very loose hug, letting the boy cry his heart out against his white shirt. Soft sobs escaping his pale lips that were now tainted with his own blood. Gilbert did not whisper any soothing words, he simply let the boy cry… knowing well enough that crying like this might relieve his heart, but it might also hurt the boy's pride.

.

He didn't know how long exactly he waited there for the boy to calm down, how long he had patted his soft hair… but eventually, the sobbing stopped and the prince's breathing calmed down and finally, he looked up, his face even paler and his eyes red and swollen. He chuckled, a soft and hollow chuckle that told you how broken the boy truly was. "I'm sorry," he muttered and sniffed, rubbing his eyes, god he felt so stupid. "I really shouldn't…"

"It's fine," Gilbert smiled kindly,

It really isn't, the boy shook his head. "Still…" you've already done so much for me, how could I add more burdens to you?" _How ungrateful of me_. He truly was a spoiled brat.

"…What would you like for dinner?"

"Eh?" the boy looked up, a bit surprised by the sudden change of subject,

"Perhaps the reason you're not eating well is because you do not like the food I make... Of course, aside from the fact that you're going through a tough moment right now… but perhaps if I make something that's delicious, you would actually eat it." He was still holding the boy's hand, the young man noticed how much this simple gesture seemed to calm the boy down, gently opening the boy's hand and drawing circles on the palm of his hand with his index finger, "So, what would you like?"

"It's fine… whatever you want to make," the boy sighed as he gazed at the man's finger gently drawing circles on his hand,

"Promise you'll eat it?" Gilbert finally let go of Oz's hand, his eyes were kind and caring, something the teen really needed right now.

He offered a weak smile back,

"Promise."

* * *

"Elliot calm down!" Leo ran after his master… well, limped, his foot still hadn't healed and he needed to lean heavily on his crutches while following the youngest Nightray through the long corridors of the Nightray mansion, they used to be filled with warm colors and lovely memories. Right now everything was dark and quiet… thanks to the deaths of his two elder brothers and mother. A week ago, a fire had broken out at the mansion, Elliot had been lucky and got out with just a minor burn wounds and three broken fingers, his servant, whom he had tried so desperately to protect had only gotten out with a few bruises… but when they had gotten out of the building people had kept pushing them around, Leo had stumbled and people had continued to run over his leg as they all tried to get as far away as possible from the fire. God, how he had failed his valet as a master. Yet the raven haired teen had never complained about it, had remained strong and stayed by his master's side… outside in the rain when gazing at the burning mansion, holding his arm when Elliot had wanted to run after his best friend Oz who had gotten accused of treason, had stayed by his side when his two older brothers and mother got buried into the ground. Leo had stayed by his side all this time… keeping him company when his master had nightmares of the tragedy that had happened just a week ago… the gruesome things they had seen still made his stomach twist and made him want to throw up right away. Princess Aida's corpse- people running over her... People coughing up blood- he shook his head and instead met his servant's violet eyes, his glasses had gotten broken and Elliot didn't have time to go buy a new pair…

"I'm going to look for him." That was that. He had read enough of the newspaper, had listened enough to Vanessa and his father's stupid talk about how they knew that the Vesalius' were traitorous people and how disgusting Elliot was for befriending them. Oz was innocent! There was no way that stupid airhead had anything to do with this plan, how many times had that idiot saved people's lives? People he had never even met?

**No**.

The Nightray shook his head, there was no way his friend had known about this. God knows where he is now, the teen needed to help him!

"But you can't… Elliot, your body is still weak." Leo sighed, "I understand that you want to help him- … but, Oz would never want for you to risk your own health in order to save him."

"Why should I care about what that shrimp wants?" he asked, "Besides, like he has any say in this!" he stopped walking and glared at his servant, but Leo did not back away, the Nightray's valet knew that his anger was not directed towards him but just to life in general. "Where has he been hiding in the past few days? Also, they said the poison was in both the food and wine-" -Elliot had been lucky not to eat or drink at the party, having been too busy with hiding away from any girls that might have been interested in asking for his hand in marriage, plus he had been too occupied with admiring Xerxes Break from afar. He was lucky, though, he remembered he had been holding a glass of wine at the time… had he drank from it, he would have been in the same state as all the other victims, a lot had passed away because of the poison, it was a miracle princess Alice had survived. "I saw him drink from the same glass as Alice." Worry was written all over his face as he remembered a very ill Oz taking a few sips from the wine his fiancée had practically pushed in his face when he couldn't stop coughing. "That good-for-nothing was already sick and now has the same poison in his system as that stupid meat-eating princess…" he slowed down for a bit, Leo for a moment thought he had finally come to his senses, but no. Elliot's gaze hardened, "That's it. I'm going! Like hell that idiot can take care of himself!" he put on the coat he had been carrying and walked towards the door that led to a staircase,

"Then I'll go with you!" Leo said determined,

"Don't be stupid," Elliot stopped, holding the doorknob with his left hand, since his good hand was wrapped up in bandages. "You have a broken leg,"

"As is your hand," the raven haired teen nodded towards the hand that had been useless during these past few days, Elliot glanced at it, but quickly met Leo's gaze again. "There's a difference." He said stubbornly,

"You can't fight too well-"

"Of course I can! What kind of swordsman-"

"Shut-up!" Leo interrupted his master in a very rude way, "All I hear is blah-blah, use your stupid brain for once!" hah, so his valet had finally lost what little patience he had, "I know it's tiny but I'm pretty sure your father taught you to actually use it!"

"How dare you!?" the Nightray shouted angrily.

"Elliot. Listen!" and he did not leave any room for argument, "This is Oz we're talking about, I'm sure he has found a way to survive… and I am sure Sharon-sama and Break are searching for him as well." He calmed down again, "I understand you're worried… so am I," he smiled softly, gently patting the taller teen's short hair, "He was the only person whom ever bothered to talk to you -_aside from me_- after you started a fight that first day at Latowidge, so he's a special friend… am I right?"

"H-he's… really not that special to me." He muttered while looking away with a scowl on his face, his cheeks turning red. The Nightray then sighed, "But you're right,"

Leo chuckled when seeing this reaction, "One of us has to be, after all.


End file.
